The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-12

the State have committed the sentences OF |
twenty-four boys, sentenced by the courts to the
state prisons, TO the and custody of the in
slitution. recommend that the law governing
eommittal OF boys to the institution that have
been guilty OF no crime, unless IL is clearly shown
he control that Fs sasy Gss%
ing step-iathers and step-mothers, whose
children have committed no crime, and are really
not beyond parental control, from procuring their
admission to the Reform School simply for the
and also to prevent parents from procuring their
children TO be sent to the institution for the pur-
bility.
The Constitution OF the State provides that the
penal code shall be founded on the principles OF
reformation and not OF vindictive justice: that
cruel and unusual punishments shall not be in
icted that all penalties shall be pIoportioned to
and penal code. and especially the manner in
which the latter is administered, could hardly be
further from a compliance with those wise and
every day our courts are sentencing to the peni-
Tertiary young men under twenty-0ne years OF
age, in many instances their first ofense, and
and hundreds are sent to the peni-
tertiary by courts and juries, thereby blasting
their characters forever merely for the purpose OF
saving the county from the expense of Jail sen
tence, which would have been sufficient punishs
ereasing the number OF the criminal class but
inficting punishment in violation of the above
punishment shall be proportioned to the nature
Of the offenSe" Two-tnirds OF the prisoners in
our State prisons are under thirty years OF age.
forcei association with hardened and confr ned
criminals, murdereTs, thieves and cOunterfeiIers
would be to reason that evil associations do not
contaminate or corrupt. Those who have had ex-
perience in the management of prisons, and also
those who have given careful attention 10 the i'm.
press made upon the character OF the young aud
comparatively innocent convict by the aggregate
prison system, testify TO its h1rtful Influence and
nf
under such system.
The sending OF young men to the penitentiary
for slight oenses is object enable for the further
reason that however good his Conduct may have
been while a prisoner. yet, when discharged,
he finds that the world does not look kindly on
eX-penltentiary convict, notwithstanding the
ofense for which he was convicted was lot grave
one. II is with great difficulty he obtains hOnOra
BILE employment and he fnds still greater difficulty
in gaining admission to good society. The ig
nOminy OF the eX-penitentiary convict follows
him like destroying angel wherever he may go.
II is cruel to visit such terrible punishment for
slight ofense. punishment that ends only
with death and punishment that depriyes the
young and first offender from obtaining honor
able employment and the association OF reputable
persons is a disgrace to christian civilization,
mockery OF the administration OF justice aud a
sad commentary upon states nanshlp II the
State not, at this time, SO burdened with the
expense of the construction OF so many new build
ings, would earnestly recommend the establish
ment of an institution, to be called by some such
name an industrial school, for the conhne.
ment OF young conviets and of those guilty OF
their first Ofense whose former characters hal
been good in order that they might have at least
one chance to return to the path OF rectitude and
to the favorable recognition OF their fellowmen.
The number of pardons. paroles communications
and remissiOns of fines granted viii be submitted
by separate report at an early day in the session.
PUBLIC PRINTING, BINDING AND STATIONERY.
The report OF the Secretary OF State is accom-
panied by an elaborate and valuable report from
the clerk of the Bureau of Public Printing, Bind
ing and Stationery, showing in detail the printing
and binding done and the stationery furnished on
account OF each public office, and authorized by
law to be charged to the pubic, printing fund,
and authorized by law to be charged to the ap-
| preparation for such institution.
| The present bureau was established by an act OF
| the General Assembly approved March IL, 1919,
| and all the public printing, binding and station
cry for the of the several Offices and the ex-
| printing fnnd was to be executed through such
| bureau. The act has proved OF great benedt TO
the State ana has reduced the cost of public print
ing. In 1885 the General Assembly, by al act
approved April 49, 1885, largely increased the du-
ties of the bureau, and required that ali the print
ing binding and stationery tor the use OF any
| Office or any public institution, should be exc
| cuted through such bureau.
| Under the law every office and institution has
| been supplied at a uniform price, which has been
secured through competition alter due pubic ad-
| vertisement
Referring to the public printing act of 1885, the
| law does not ex pncitly provide whether the nun
Der OF reports named in the act to be prlnsed for
| the various institutions is exclusive OF the num-
Der to be bound in the Documentary Journal, or
whether the number authorized includes the
| l,6C0 intended for the Documentary journal
| As matter OF economy, on account oil the I'm
tied appropriation, the bureau adopted the latter
construction. The law should provide spe-
officially what reports the Documentary Jour
nal should contain, and should fix the number
required for the Documentary Journal, In addi-
ton to the number to be printed for the various
| offices and institutions The law should be fur
Their amended, providing for the biennisl pu6lica-
ton OF many reports which are required to be
published annually, thereby securing great saw
ing 10 the State.
In making the appropriation for public printing,
binding and stationery, would commend 10 your
consideration the propriety OF approprlatlng spe
cifc amount for each officer or departm ent named.
for the reason that the present law appcooriates
fixed sum without limiting the amount that any
Mr. jacob B. Maynard the efficient clerk of the
bureau, has made careful examination of the
old records, posted them up to make tnem intelli-
gible, and brOughta system out OF cha )tte mass.
For the first time since the organization OF the bu
reau, he has provided and carefully kept a com
plete record of the printing and binding done
and stationery furnished on account OF the last
| General Assembly, and. though his duties have
been largely increased, there has been no lacking
in the reliability and completeness OF bis records
1t was due to mis- active and earnest efforts In de
yising for the existing contract specifications
which enabled the State for the first time, TO de
termine with certainty who was the lowest and
best bidder for the work TO be done and the mate
rails to be furnished
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The report of the board contains much inter.
esting information, and gives a detailed account
| OF its expenditures The amount appropriated
was IS COO all of which was expended, except the
srm of Sc cents. The board states that as the
| people become more familiar with the operations
| OF the various health Organizs lions, aud the OBJ
jects to be attained. the more popular the law De
| comes, and the more readily the rules and regu
lations of the board are observed.
The board recommends several amendments e
the present law TO increase its efficiency, 10 ex
tend it's jurisdiction over diseases of domestic
animals, aud 10 create the odice OF State Neter1
marian. The object of the several amendments i
fully explained in the report. to which you ar
referred.
STATE LIBRARY.
The State Library organized in 1871, and a
the close of the last fis cal year contained 2Si4
volumes During the period OF its existence ~ ma
been under the management of eighteen Libra
RAMS holding an average tenure of two and hal
| years each. In so short period Librarian l
barely able to become familiar with the duties o
| the position and is compelled to retire when d
| has become competent to discharge 1ntelilgentl
its duties 1t is evident that what the Librarian
| saws in her report is true-thRt these trequen
| changes seriously detract from the usefulness 0
| the library and will continue to do so until IN
Legislature makes different provision for its man
| sgement The wants OF the library in detail ar
| given in the report OF the Librarian, which cor
! tains much valuable information.
e STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
A full account OF the business OF the State Boar
of Agriculture and a statement OF its hnanclal al
fairs during the last two fiscal years will be toun
| in its reports OF those two years.
hi1siueQa affairs of the board have been wei